Neck Traction & Back Relief
So many of us spend at least eight hours a day working at a desk or computer, it's not surprising that we have back problems after a while. The condition becomes painful and, in some extreme cases, can result in a disability. Couple this with the normal accidents that occur in life, and back pain can be compounded very quickly. Neck traction is one form of treatment being touted as a significant form of self-applied relief that is effective. However, neck traction has not garnered the full support of expert, medical approval. Although there are many traction products on the market, it is buyer beware.
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What is Neck Traction?
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Using force applied in a pulling motion to the head and neck, neck traction is designed to lessen spinal pressure via muscle stretching. Hospitals use a weight-driven form of traction when assisting recovery from significant spinal injury, but this is not the type of neck traction that is available to consumers. Instead, consumers can either receive a pulling treatment from a therapist or with equipment used at home to achieve the same effect. The goal is to stretch the neck area enough to reduce painful compression in the overall spine.
Neck Curvature
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The critical aspect of the spine in the neck area is the curvature of the neck. The neck spine is supposed ride in a "C" shape from the back. If this curvature is off, it affects nerves that run from the spine between the spine bones. Usually, the effect is pain and pinched nerves.
Good or bad neck curvature can be confirmed through medical examination and an X-ray. Posture also offers key clues as to whether problems exist.
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Misalignment
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Bad curvature and misalignment can occur due to a traumatic accident, overextension, bad posture over time or genetics. All of these conditions can contribute to a situation in which the spine does not reset itself properly and begins to bend the wrong way. The result is reduced mobility, pain, physical disadvantage in appearance and eventually serious medical conditions.
How Neck Traction Works
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Self-induced neck traction uses a form of overhead leverage to provide the pull. The user places his neck or head in a harness that is connected to straps. These straps are connected to a weight that is slung over a high point, usually a door. The pulling effect provides a temporary relief by lifting the weight of the head and neck from the spine.
Benefits
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Neck traction is used by many with curvature or misalignment issues because it seems to provide relief from the pressure and pain that feels like a compressed spine. There is some benefit to releasing pressure and allowing nerves to relocate themselves properly--ask anyone who has recovered from a sciatic nerve issue. But there is not a good body of evidence that the benefits of neck traction are permanent. Thus, neck traction may be addressing only a symptom rather than solving the actual back pain problem.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of lost in translation) (Gordana Adamovic-Mladenovic
